Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to motor vehicles and, more specifically, to methods and apparatus for designing motor vehicles.
The design of automotive vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks, etc., usually begins with the development of various sketches and drawings showing the shape of the various body panels and other components of the vehicle. Three-dimensional clay models and, more recently, computer generated models, are then created to provide a visual image of the proposed vehicle design. Changes to the shape of the vehicle at this stage entail time consuming, highly skilled labor, even if such changes are on the order of only several millimeters in a particular dimension.
In order to design and market a successful vehicle, an accurate assessment of consumer needs, the market and the competition with regard to size and styling of a vehicle, among other factors, must be determined at an early stage of the vehicle design. Typically, models, known in the industry as "bucks" are constructed to simulate a particular body component or vehicle section, such as the interior passenger compartment of a vehicle, the exterior shell, trunk, engine compartment, undercarriage, etc. Such bucks are designed for a specific vehicle and any changes to the parts thereof require additional labor and time. Furthermore, a number of identical bucks or test stands are designed for each different vehicle model made by a particular manufacturer for use by various design and engineering personnel.
Ergonomics, or the interaction of the vehicle with the user, is becoming an important factor in the design of automotive vehicles. Ergonomics involves the spatial relationship of various components with each other and the user, such as the driver or passenger of a vehicle. In order to provide a comparison of various ergonomic factors, a number of different bucks would be designed, each having a different spacial relationship of components. Consumers sit in or view each buck and provide their opinions in response to detailed questions relating to various facets of each design. This information is utilized by the vehicle manufacturer to develop a new vehicle or to refine an existing vehicle.
In order to expedite the design of a vehicle and to adequately assess all of the ergonomic and other factors associated with the design of a vehicle, attempts have been made to provide universal bucks which are adjustable in size and shape so as to enable a number of different designs to be tested in a time efficient manner. One such attempt by some of the inventors of the present application resulted in the development of a computer controlled buck which incorporated a seat, steering column, instrument panel, gear shifter, floor pan and front and rear seats. Most of the above-named components were variably adjustable in position in up/down or fore/aft directions as well as being adjustably positionable laterally across the width of the test buck. While this buck was effective in evaluating various vehicle interior designs and spatial relationships, it did not incorporate any exterior body panels which would lend it to testing of entire vehicle shapes, both interior and exterior, as well as how such exterior body panels interact spatially with the internal vehicle components and/or passenger.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a programmable vehicle model which presents an entire full-size vehicle in which substantially all of the vehicle components are adjustable in position with respect to each other to create different vehicle shapes and component spatial relationships. It would also be desirable to provide a programmable vehicle model in which the length, height and width of the vehicle model is adjustable without any gaps appearing between adjacent exterior body panels. It would also be desirable to provide a programmable vehicle model which is easily reconfigurable into the exterior and/or interior dimensions and spatial component relationships of a variety of different sized vehicles.